Amanda Makki hits back after Trump endorsement of campaign rival
September 17, 2021
Amanda Makki, Republican candidate for the District 13 congressional seat, responded with a brutal email blast last week to Donald Trump’s endorsement of her primary opponent, Anna Paulina Luna.
Among other things, Makki called Luna “just Crist in a skirt,” one of the worst insults one Republican could hurl at another, reminding backers that Charlie Crist “betrayed our party” by switching to the Democratic Party when he believed the GOP had gone too far right. That made Crist the bête noire of the Florida GOP.
The tricky part: Makki, a devout follower of Trump, couldn’t criticize Trump himself for the endorsement.
“Let me be very clear: I support President Trump and his policies 100%,” Makki wrote. “Unfortunately, it appears that President Trump was given bad information about Luna.”
Quoting a Tampa Bay Times profile that cited a 2017 Luna interview in SKYN magazine, Makki said Luna has boasted about changing her name and personality, “depending on what image I am going for.”
“That cynical phoniness is exactly what Luna is using to try to trick Florida Republicans in this election,” said Makki.
“Luna twice supported the Obama/Biden ticket, and now she’s playing a new character — even making up a new last name for herself — to get what she wants.”